A new flexible format table tennis league is under way in Oxford, with a fantastic turnout of 35 players in week one.
Placed in groups of similar ability, the league intends to provide a low cost, low commitment opportunity for beginners, social players and existing league players to play some matches.
The league was set up under the umbrella of Be TT, our support programme for clubs and leagues.
Lee Monk, Development and Volunteering Officer at Table Tennis England, said: “Through Be TT, we discovered an apparent need for a shorter format, flexible league in Oxford which we determined by surveying existing league members and consulting with local social players.
“With Ping! Oxford now into its fifth year, it also represented an excellent chance as a ‘play on’ opportunity. With promotional support from Oxford City Council, OxSPA and local volunteers and clubs, we have been able to reach a diverse group of people from the local community with the majority of attendees interested in getting involved in other local sessions.”
The Ping! All-Comers Flexi League allows for participants to sign up in advance to as many fixtures as they would like to attend, eliminating the barrier of having to commit to the whole season. Each game is ‘every point counts’, with final positions in the group being determined on most points scored and at the end of the six weeks, the overall league winner will be determined by average points per game.
Each week, players may be relegated or promoted into different groups to ensure an even standard. Group winners on the night will receive medals and certificates, and small prizes will be awarded with a trophy and additional prizes for performances across the whole six weeks.
Full results of the first fixture and overall standings can be found on the Oxford Table Tennis League website.
Anne Borrowdale, Development Officer for the Oxford & District Table Tennis League, organised the league, and during the first round of fixtures was presented with a Pride of Table Tennis Awards League Volunteer of the Year certificate for her outstanding voluntary series developing table tennis for the Oxford league and local community.
Anne’s nomination will now be considered by a regional panel after the Pride of Table Tennis Awards closing deadline of 21st September.
